Weekly News Roundup for Dec 22, 2025


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Breaking News in Healthcare Reform

 

“‘The big social experiments in this country – Medicaid, Medicare, the New Deal – [were] radical transformations of American life based on social movements that fought for justice,’ [added Gregg Gonsalves, PhD, of the Yale School of Public Health]. We need to figure out how we get back to building those movements.”

‘Revolutionary’ Change Needed to Address Intractable Healthcare Issue, Experts Say

MedPage Today | Shannon Firth | December 19, 2025

 

“The value-based care pilot will be replaced by ACO LEAD, a new model that providers and analysts say seems to address many of the problems posed by its predecessor.”
Medicare Unveils Successor to ACO REACH

Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | December 19, 2025

 

“For those who believe that the government is responsible for the health of its citizens, expanding health insurance coverage and financing this expansion through taxes presents a clear approach. For those who say the burden should fall on individuals, reliance on the free market drives the fix – on the premise that competition between health insurers and providers offers a more effective way to solve the cost challenges than a government intervention.”
As Millions of Americans Face a Steep Rise in Health Insurance Costs, Lawmakers Continue a Century-Long Battle Over Who Should Pay for Health Care

The Conversation | Robert Applebaum | December 19, 2025

 

“Under Medicare Advantage … the less insurers spend on residents’ care, the more they have left over in taxpayer funds for potential profit.”
UnitedHealth Reduced Hospitalizations for Nursing Home Seniors. Now It Faces Wrongful Death Claims

The Guardian | George Joseph | December 17, 2025

 

“Ultimately, if policymakers really want to lower health care costs and stop subsidizing exploitative health insurance companies, the pathway is clear: Medicare For All.”
Dueling Congressional Votes Won’t Fix the Broken US Health Care System

Center for Economic and Policy Research | Brandon Novick | December 16, 2025

 

“In the vast majority of metropolitan areas across the country, health insurers hold outsized market share — leaving patients with fewer choices and higher costs….”
AMA Report: Health Insurance Giants Tighten Grip on U.S. Markets

American Medical Association | December 16, 2025

 

“Congress’s failure to extend the enhanced subsidies means an estimated 4.8 million Americans will lose health care coverage in 2026 and more than 20 million Americans will see their health care costs rise dramatically.”
Senators Brace for Another Possible Shutdown in January

The Hill | Alexander Bolton | December 15, 2025

 

“‘The very last thing this administration should be doing is strangling already overworked providers in new red tape and letting AI decide who gets health care and who doesn’t.’ said Senator Murray.”

New Bill to Halt Trump Administration’s Looming Medicare AI Prior Authorization Takeover

Senator Patty Murray | Press Release | December 15, 2025


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